Improvement in wagon-bodies



JAMES D. PETTiT. Improv ement in Wagon Bodies.

Patented Nov. 28,1871.

Inventor.

JAMES D. PETTIT, OF ROCHEST PATENT OFFICE,

ER, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-BODIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,409, dated November 28, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES D. PETTIT, of Rochestreiyrin the county of Fulton and State of Indianaphave invented an Improved Vagon-Bed; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the box 5 Fig. 2, a perspective view of the bottom; Fig. 3, a vertical cross-section through the middle; and Fig. 4, a vertical cross-section through the end irons.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawing denote the same parts.

'lhis invention relates to the class of folding wagon-boxes; and consists in the construction hereinafter described.

In the drawing, A A represent the sides 5 B, the bottom, and El E', the ends of the box. The bottom is made either in a single piece or of two or more pieces of plank jointed together, and strengthened by cross-bars C G at the ends and by a stouter cross-beam, M, under the middle, the ends of the latter beam projecting slightly beyond the sides. Near each end of the wagonbox a Wrought-iron standard, I, is let into or secured to the inner wall of the side piece, the lower end of said standard projecting below the box, tapered nearly to a point, and curved inward, as shown in Fig. 4. Curved sockets to receive the toes or hooks of the standards are made through the bottom B and the cross-bars C C', and are suitably bushed with iron or provided with a staple or guard, S, to prevent the hook from wearing into the wood. 'lhe side pieces may be readily detachedfrom the bottom by pressing their upper edges inward, and lifting them up so as to let the curved hooks escape from their sockets; and they may be as readily connected to the bottom again, care being taken only to incline the top of the side piece inward, then insert the end ofthe hook, and then lower the hook into place, pushing outward the upper edge ofthe side pieces as they descend until they rest upon the bottom piece. The hooks will then be found to have engaged under the staples, preventing the side pieces not only from being lifted vertically upward but also from being pressed or inclined outward by the load contained Within the box.

To connect the sides to the bottom at the middle of the box stout malleable iron bars N N are fastened to the outside of the box, being provided with curved lower' extremities which project down through slots in the beam M, and are locked firmly in that position by means of keys a a. The side pieces cannot be detached until the keys have been removed. To further support the side pieces the end gates are dovetailed into them, so as to hold them strongly together when the gates are in place. To this end vertical dovetailed metalic sockets WV W are fastened to the inner walls ofthe side pieces, preferably in such a position as to cover and conceal the standardsI I, which may be countersunk in the sides. The dovetail tongue on the gates may be covered with sheet metal to protect it from wear. The gates may be locked in a very convenient manner by means of a bent rod, It. I/Vhen the bend r of this rod (which serves both as a handle and as a weight to keep it locked) is in the position shown in Fig. l the slightly bent ends of the rod project through a shall hole in the angeW into the dovetail tongue ofthe gate and prevent the latter from being raised; but when the loop fr is brought up to a horizontal position the bent ends of the rod swing out of the holes and leave the gates free to be removed. Thus, by simply taking hold of the handle 1" and drawing it upward the gate is, by a single movement, unlocked and lifted out of the sockets.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new isl. rlhe combination of the bottom B and side pieces A A, with the hooked iron standards I I fastened to the inner surface of the side pieces near the ends of the wagon and the stout curved standards N N fastened to the outer surface of the side pieces at the middle of the wagon, said middle standards N N extending down through the projecting beam M, and being provided with an eye below the beam so as to be fastened by keys a a beneath it, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

2. rIhe staples s s, when applied to the wooden cross-bars (l Of, and employed in combination with the hooked standards I I at the ends ofthe wagon, in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. The end gates and dovetail sockets, in com- The above specification of my invention signed bination with the bent rocking-rod R, the eenby me this 11th day of September, 1871. trai loop of Which forms :L handle, While the ends JAMES D. PETTIT.

project through the sockets W W into the dovetail tongue of the gates to hold them in place, Witnesses:

substantially as described, for the purpose spee- ENOOH STURGEON,

ied. JEREMIAH CLARK. (3l) 

